Catch up...not to be confused with ketchup...

Grab a snack, I have a lot to say...

Last week was a blur, so I didn't get to any bloggin'. Or maybe it was because my house was so dirty that I couldn't find the computer? You'll never know...mainly because if you came to my front door last week, you didn't get invited in. So bad! But I took Friday off and got it back to a manageable state. This house is a beast.

But I did make some new things...there's at least one resolution I can stick to. And let's just say, TV Joe is so happy with my resolution. He's requested the BBQ Stir Fry and White Bean Chili again. We're having the stir fry tonight.

Last Sunday was the big playoff game that shall no longer be mentioned because it turned out horribly. Cowboys lost, but Amy won...with baked beans. And pound cake.

Yeah, I know that was pretty bad. Ha! I'm actually laughing out loud it was too corny!!

Saturday night I made The Pioneer Woman's pound cake. What? No restraining order has been placed...yet. I'm slightly obsessed with this website. She's just so darn funny and her recipes are easy and so good!

The good thing about pound cake is...you can take a little sliver and shove it in your mouth without anyone noticing. Try that with a pie. I know this because I saw my friends do this throughout the game. Although that might have been "self medication" for how bad the game was.

So here's the recipe. It was really, really good.

Perfect Pound Cake, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman (whom I adore)

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 3 sticks Butter
• 3 cups Sugar
• 5 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring
• 2 teaspoons Lemon Flavoring
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.

Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.

Remove cake from oven and invert pan until cake drops out. Slice and chow down!

********subject changer**************************

The hosts of our party, the fabulous Candace and DJ Jazzy Jeff provided BBQ brisket and a famous C-Netz salad. That lady makes the best salads.

So I got up real early on Sunday to make some baked beans. This was no simple feat, as we were out late late late on Friday night and Saturday night. We're crazy like that.

I've never made baked beans. I like the canned ones just fine. But in an effort to transform myself into the best cook evah, I made some beans.

Yeah. They were awesome.

See the recipe and purdy pictures here. And for the lazy - here's the recipe. Two guesses where it came from. One step closer to that restraining order.

Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans
recipe by Pam Anderson via The Pioneer Woman

Serves up to 18

8 slices bacon, halved

1 medium onion, cut into small dice

1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice

3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar

2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

********subject changer (told you I've been busy!!)********

This weekend was blissful. I'll post more about it later. It was awesome. It started with me taking Friday off to clean this beast.

Wait, I already said that - this post is so long I've forgotten what I've written!!

Waking up Saturday to a clean house, and witnessing a fantastic 8U basketball game at 9:30am really gave me some inspiration.

Lunch time came and I decided to make some Homemade Tomato soup. I don't like canned tomato soup. At all. Even to cook with. It tastes like....ketchup. HA! Now my title makes sense! I found this recipe on Tasty kitchen....which happens to belong to........ PW.

I made some changes based on what I had in the pantry. Let me say...this was so good! I'm so glad I made it. We made some grilled cheese with some really thick, chewy white bread. It was just heavenly. I insist you try this recipe. Seriously delish. And it took 5 minutes. There's no reason to heat up a can of condensed soup when something this good takes 5 minutes. You'll thank me.

5-Minute Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup, courtesy of Foodie with Family

Ingredients:

• 1 (48 ounce) can Tomato Puree (You can substitute crushed tomatoes if you prefer more robust texture in your soup.) I didn't have puree, so I used two 28oz cans of high quality whole tomatoes, and pureed in the food processor. Gave a great texture!
  
• 3-3/4 cups plus 1/4 cup fresh water, divided Since I used whole tomatoes, I only used about a half cup of water, plus 1/4 cup, divided - just add water based on your desired thickness
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 3/4 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Celery Salt
• a pinch of Italian Seasonings
• 1 cup Half and Half I'll likely reduce this next time - it was plenty creamy
  

Stir together the tomato puree, water, Kosher salt, granulated garlic, celery salt and Italian seasonings in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. When the soup is simmering, use a fork to combine the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl or cup. Stir the cornstarch until no lumps remain. While stirring the soup vigorously, pour the cornstarch and water mixture into the pan. Return to a simmer and continue cooking until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. When thickened, remove from the heat and stir in Half and Half. Serve immediately or refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to a week.

Get in my belly - it was so good.

And re-heated good. Don't try this without some good soppin' bread. You will LOVE it!

Later y'all...gotta go make sure the kiddies are still playing nice.

New Recipe Challenge - Week 2 SUCCESS!

As a part of my New Year's Resolutions, I've vowed to try at least one new recipe every week. Last week was BBQ Beef Stir Fry. This week - Simple, Hearty White Chili.

SUCCESS!

It should be noted that whenever I spell success, I spell it in a cheer - S-U-C-C-E-S-S...we are the best! Thank you Reed Jr. High.

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website. If you have not discovered Ree Drummond's site...check it out. And allow for some time because you will become obsessed.

Before I post the recipe, let me tell you, you need the full 2 hours of cook time for this little jewel. No skimping or you get a few hard beans. But it was soooo good! So good. TV Joe loved it.

And I strongly encourage you to cook your own bird and use the broth for this recipe. It was my first time to cook a chicken whole. It takes about an hour. I could not find a cut up fryer at the market - I think that only takes 30 minutes. I cut up an onion into quarters and threw it in, along with some garlic (4 or 5 cloves) and 2 bay leaves.

I'm going to be honest with you, I have no idea what a bay leaf adds to a recipe. But TV/Chef Joe tells me to add them to everything, so there you go.

The fresh broth made this recipe so rich with flavor. And use some dark meat, okay... You can have a salad tomorrow.

I was super rushed, as usual so I have no pictures. Look at The Pioneer Woman for some really sweet shots. I can't compete with that anyway. This woman is awesome. It makes me want to move to the country and live on a ranch and homeschool my kids. Okay, scratch that. Move to the country as long as there is a decent school district close by. And a Target. And Sephora. Oh nevermind, I'm staying put.

On with the party -

Simple, Hearty White Chili, courtesy of Ree Drummond - thepioneerwoman.com

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 2 Hours

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 whole Fryer Chicken, Cut Up (or 3 Cups Cooked Chicken)
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 whole Cans Green Chilies, Chopped
• 1 pound Dried Great Northern Beans, Rinsed
• 8 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
• 1-½ Tablespoon Ground Cumin
• ½ teaspoons Paprika
• ½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• Salt To Taste
• White Pepper, To Taste
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Masa (corn Flour) OR Cornmeal
• Grated Monterey Jack, To Taste
• Sour Cream For Garnish
• Cilantro For Garnish
• Guacamole (optional)
• Pico De Gallo (optional)
• Corn Tortillas (warmed)

Preparation Instructions

Cover chicken and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove meat from bones. Set aside.

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add chopped green chilies, then rinsed beans. Pour chicken broth into the pan. Add sliced jalapenos. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place lid on pot and reduce heat to low.

Cook for 2 hours or until beans are done. Halfway through the cooking process, add 3 cups of cooked chicken.

When beans are tender, mix milk with masa (or cornmeal) and pour into the chili. Cook for an additional ten minutes to thicken. Check seasoning and adjust, adding cayenne pepper and paprika if desired.

Add some Monterey Jack cheese to the pot and stir to melt.

Serve chili in a bowl. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, extra cheese—even pico de gallo and guacamole, if you have some on hand. Roll up warm corn tortillas and serve on the side of the bowl.

I can't wait to try my next Pioneer Woman recipe. I might have to run out and buy the cookbook too!

Pizza Night

Sunday night was homemade pizza night at our house. TV Joe found this Italian market that sells frozen pizza dough. Clearly the kind that I bought in the can was not sufficient. Ha! I'll just save that for when he's out of town. This was a lot of work, but the kids had a blast. Joe would make a fine pizzeria employee, although he might get fired for the amount of cheese used. Wow - it was so good. Too good.

Punching the dough down

Spreading it out and making it round

Tossing the dough

Adding the toppings - cheese and pepperoni

Pepperoni eyes!

Ready to go in the oven

Finished product

Joe and I had shrimp, onion, tomato and garlic - so good. We had a little picnic on the floor then snuggled down on the couch to watch "Monsters, Inc". We very rarely get snuggle time with them - they are both very busy. It was so sweet. The boys are already asking when we can do it again!

God Bless Texas

July 14, 2009 - 108 degrees



January 8, 2010 - 16 degrees

Resolution #3

I've flossed twice now. And I haven't had any candy since Sunday. LOL - I sound like I'm at a meeting. Hi, My name is Amy and I've been candy free for 3 days.

Resolution #3 is something I'm pretty excited about. I started doing this a little last year, but I'm determined to follow through this year.

Resolution #3 - try at least one new recipe a week

A fun resolution!

Tuesday I tried a recipe from Sandra Lee's Money Saving Meals. BBQ Beef Stir Fry. It was cheap! And yum! I got the meat on sale and that's always a bonus! I ran to the store Tuesday after work and without the kids.

(honestly my #1 resolution for the new year should have been to never, never, ever never take both kids to the grocery store - long story, but I'm sure you can fill in the blanks)

I went to get the kids at Mimi's and by the time I got home it was 6:30. So I started chopping and dicing and mincing and whisking. TV Joe walked in just as I was starting to cut the meat "thinly" - apparently I was to basically shave the meat. Very thin. Very, very thin. So he kind of took over the cooking - but I watched and made the sauce for him. I'd never made stir fry, and after watching I'm confident I could do it myself.

This is a very good recipe, but I will buy a wok before making it again and - the sauce is a bit spicy, so I might cut to 1/2 tsp and let Joe add his own. I used that Chinese hot sauce with the rooster on the bottle. Next time I will also ditch the celery and add more broccoli. I love stir fry broccoli! The noodles were fun and gave something for Biggie B to eat - he's really picky. He ate one bite of meat in order to get his dessert. I even bought fortune cookies for dessert. It was fun. Joe LOVED this meal - ate 2 servings. P-Diddy liked it, but it was a little spicy for him. I had the leftovers yesterday and they were awesome.

BBQ Beef Stir-Fry, Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee but I made a few changes...

Prep Time: 15 min (pretty much)

Cook Time: 10 min (ish)
Level: Easy (yep)
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) beef chuck steak, sliced into thin (really thin) strips
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (vegetable oil worked fine)
  
• 2 carrots, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
• 2 stalks celery, sliced about 1/4-inch thick (I'm omitting next time - adding more broccoli)
  
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger root
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 (16-ounce) package lo mein noodles, cooked according to package directions

Hoisin Sauce:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (it was pretty hot - I would start with 1/2 t, and add more if not hot enough)
  
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Stir-Fry: In a wok or large skillet over high heat add the canola oil. Add the beef and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Set aside on a plate.

To the same pan the beef was cooked in, add the carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and broccoli and stir-fry until slightly tender but not soft, about 3 minutes. Add the beef back to the skillet along with half of the hoisin sauce (see below), and toss to coat the beef. Arrange the lo mein noodles on a serving platter and top with the beef stir-fry.

Hoisin Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk all the sauce ingredients until well blended. Add half to the stir-fry and save the remaining half for the next time you make a stir-fry. The extra hoisin sauce will last up to 2 weeks in a sealed container stored in the refrigerator. (But we used all of it - because it was so good)

Enjoy!

Resolution #2

I haven't had any candy since my Nerds binge Sunday night. That's good for me. When I took P-Diddy to Subway at lunch today, I didn't have a bite of his cookie. Or of the cookie they slid in extra for me. That was not an easy task.

Resolution #2 actually has nothing to do with #1 - it's new to my list but should inch its way to the top. It's serious.

Resolution #2: floss everyday

I just got back from the dentist. I'm a rabid anti-dentite. Can't stand going to to the dentist. This stems from many things. First and foremost, I grind my teeth at night so my teeth are very sensitive...just like me. LOL - yeah, I'm not sensitive. But me teef are! So all the scraping and poking makes me want to punch the poor dental tech. Second issues is my jaw - apparently all that grinding has made my jaw terrible. So the scraping and the poking and the cleaning make my jaw hurt. And last, but certainly not least, I had lots of cavities as a child. My dentist as a child said I had "thin enamel" on my baby teeth. Let's go with that - sounds less WT. Honestly I do believe him because I only have had 3 cavities since the permanent teeth finally came in all those years ago. So I spent a lot of time in the dentist's chair and the sound of that drill...yikes! Can't stand it!

So if all these things make me so crazy, why don't I just freaking floss every night instead of not flossing, and having to endure extra scraping as a result?

So resolution #2 has been voiced - floss everyday.

It should be noted that I've committed to flossing daily a number of times on my New Year's resolution list. But then I typically give it up for lent.

Ba dum bum...I'll be here all week...tip your waitress.

Resolution #1

I make New Year’s resolutions. Doesn’t everybody? I like the “clean slate” feeling a new year brings. But I think we get 2 new years – one in January and one in September when school starts. A blank piece of paper – a fresh start.

Typically my resolutions are broad – “pray more”, “lose a billion pounds”, etc. This year I’m going for a specific goals. I’m not really sure how many resolutions I have, but I’m starting with the top choice and I really think many of the others can be achieved by mastering this one resolution.

Resolution #1 – give up sugar

More specifically, candy. Table sugar. Shouldn’t be hard for a 36 year old to give up candy, right?

Wrong.

I have the sweet tooth of an 8 year old boy. My toddler’s sweet tooth is more progressed than mine – he will only eat chocolate. Me? Anything – bring it. The more it tastes like sugar, the better. Want to know what my last treat was last night at 10pm? Two Halloween sized boxes of Nerds. Can you please tell me what self-respecting woman eats Nerds? And it’s not because it was the only thing in the house. We are a week after Christmas – I have chocolate, cookies, ice cream, mints – you name it. Nope, not me. I went for the Nerds.

So today I gave it up. Almost cold turkey. I have eaten a kashi bar with 6 grams of natural sugar, and some honey roasted peanuts. But that’s it.

I hope my kids survive my detox. I’m hell on wheels over here. If only there was a Betty Ford Clinic for sugarholics. Or maybe one like Promises where it’s more like a spa than a detox center. Someplace where I could check in and then check out for 30 days.

For the record, I’m not making light of alcoholism and drug addiction. Not at all. I promise.

Or what if there was like a patch or something like Nicorette that gently weaned you from the sugar? Glaxo-Smith-Cline, can you jump on that?

And for the record, I probably would not take a pill or use a patch anyway. Probably. Sister can’t make promises.

So if you hear screams from my house, know it’s just the detox. When I feel like I’ve mastered this one, I’ll tell you my next resolution.

10 Years

At the end of a year and the beginning of a new one, most reminiscence about the events of the past year. One of the blogs I stalk took a different look - at the end of a decade - and at the decade to come.

When I look back at the past decade - it's actually amazing to think it's only been 10 years. TV Joe and I built our family, our home - our life during the last decade.

In 2000, Joe was with the DMN. I think he was still in outside sales. He made it into the President's Club several times. Now he's a corporate big wig. He lost a significant amount of weight, developed a love for cycling and rode the Hotter than Hell 100. This decade - who knows? At his progression, I can't even begin to imagine. All I know is whatever he does, he is the best at it - passion runs deep in TV Joe. 10 years.

Preston was born in 2001. He will be 9 in July. Last decade he grew into this amazing boy. He started school, started sports and learned to ride a bike. He loves football, baseball, basketball and Legos. In this decade, he will learn to drive, have his first girlfriend, maybe have a part time job. In 10 years he will graduate from high school and go to college. 10 years.

Bergen was born in 2006. He will be 4 in August. Last decade he learned to walk and talk, dance and sing. He learned to play with toys, ride a scooter and is really close to riding his own bike! Next decade he will start school, start sports (sooner, rather than later - the boy is ready!) and develop his personality. In 10 years he will be 14. He will be in middle school. 10 years.

Last decade I had 2 babies. I left the job I started out of college. I started there as a kid. I'm surprised I didn't get fired in the first year - I thought I was so smart. But I stayed and grew - went to Europe twice, won Vendor of the Year. But I had to leave because the drive was long. The next job ended in bankruptcy (theirs, not mine) and I was laid off. It's hard to believe all that happened in just 10 years!

As a couple, we built our home in 2003. This year will make 7 years. I think I still have a few boxes in the attic I could unpack. Time marches fast. We took Preston to Disney World 3 times. We made several trips to Napa Valley and New York. We made trips to Mexico to relax and in 2005 we took a dream trip to Germany. Seriously the best trip ever. We'd love to take another trip or two to Europe. I'd like to take Bergen to Disney before he gets to old to love the magic. I want to take my boys to Washington, DC and Europe.

Last decade we made some lifelong friends. Friends that I simply could not live without. And with the invention of Facebook, we have reconnected with so many from our past. 10 years ago I thought I had lost my friends of the past - now I can find practically anyone!

The last 10 years have left us incredibly blessed. I can't wait to see what is in store for us next!